reyonthehill

The U.S. Forest Service, currently located within the Department of Agriculture, should be relocated to a new Executive Department of the Environment. The Natural Resources Conservation Service should also be moved to the new department. We need to compound the department and maintain its strict purpose to analyze the nation's agricultural industries. This is one clear way to make sure of this. More on the new Department of the Environment in another post.

O'Reilly has finally lost it. Well, Mr. Bill O'Reilly never really had anything, but his latest crusade, boycotting CBS, is beyond a doubt the thoughts of a madman. He is officially a lunatic and belongs in the nuthouse. Here is an excerpt from the official transcript of his latest tirade.

O'Reilly loves Reagan: "If the majority of the folks in this country feel the Reagans are getting hosed by CBS, number one, the sponsors of the movie, which, I think, will bail -- I think we'll start to see sponsorship bail on the movie now, all right."

O'Reilly despises Dan Rather and plugs the boycott CBS campaign (a shameless move for a competiting news organization to do): "They're going to be left with, you know, just Dan Rather promos, OK, because they're going to say, look, this boycottcbs.com's going wild. I mean their system crashed after they appeared here last night, OK."

O'Reilly knows what people think: "People are going to say we're not going to buy anybody's product that advertises on this movie, and we're not going to watch CBS again for two months. Because this isn't something people are going to forget. I don't think it's worth it."

O'Reilly pompously adds: "Oh, all right. Listen, I know the folks. If I know anything, I know the folks. This is not going to be forgotten. This is a big deal."

O'Reilly threatens CBS: "But I think you guys are underestimating the anger of the folks. I'm telling you -- there is going to be hell to pay."

O'Reilly insists: "The folks are not going to like this movie... and CBS is going to have bad will."

O'Reilly predicts the future: " I believe that all of CBS's products will take a hit if they run this movie."

The following are the results of the 1804 presidential election, the first following the 12th Amendment to the Constitution which established separate votes for President and Vice President. Thomas Jefferson retained the presidency and George Clinton became Vice President.

The NBA season tips-off tomorrow night and this is going to be a tough year to predict. Kobe in-and-out of trials, teams rearranged, and only four dominant teams remaining: New Jersey Nets, San Antonio Spurs, Los Angeles Lakers and Sacramento Kings. The NBA season is so hard to predict since one player causes great change on the court (being there only five men on the court). My best guess is the Los Angeles Lakers over the New Jersey Nets in seven games. Why? I have no idea.

The team, er, player to watch, of course, is Carmelo Anthony of the Denver Nuggets. The Nuggets will make the playoffs behind the greatest 20-year-old in the game. This I do know.

A person who owns a pet must register that pet each year and that carries with it a fee. Some see this as a tax; and it is a tax. This tax upsets them, but I ask why? The government has to at least pay for the services it offers to pet owners (e.g., adoption services, veterinarian licensing). (Could you imagine the number of rabid dogs biting children if necessary documentation weren't required.) And people who don't own dogs shouldn't pay for those who do own dogs. It is not as if the dog is the community's dog. If it were then everyone should pay their share. The same argument and logic extends with people not needing to pay for someone's personal security guard but being required to pay for the neighborhood watch.

Virginia Tech is the most over-ranked football team in recent history. This is the overwhelming case against the southern polytech school and its conspicuous place among the elite.

On October 10, 2001, Virginia Tech was undefeated with a record of 6-0, and was #5 in the AP poll. Why shouldn't they be? How they got there and their subsequent collapse:

They started their season with huge victories against:

- Independent Connecticut (at home);

- MAC Western Michigan (at home);

- Rutgers; and

- MAC Central Florida (at home).

At this glorious point in the season they were 4-0 and ranked 8 in the AP. Then two big victories within the Big East:

- West Virginia; and

- Boston College (at home).

They were 4-0 at home, 4-0 against weak teams, 2-0 on the road, and 2-0 against comparable teams. They were 6-0 overall and ranked 5 in the AP. The rest of the season:

- Lost to Syracuse (at home);

- Lost to Pittsburgh huge (38-7);

- Beat Temple (soon to be Division 1-AA);

- Beat ACC Virginia;

- Lost to Miami (at home); and

- Lost to ACC Florida State in the Gator Bowl (the only Bowl loss for the Big East that year).

They finished the season 8-4 with a ranking of 18 in the AP. They lost 4 out of their last 6 games. The team was 4-3 in the Big East and Syracuse was 6-1, finishing in third and second place respectively. The second-place team was supposed to play in the Gator Bowl, but its executives opted for VaTech instead of the better Syracuse squad, who had soundly defeated VaTech in Blacksburg in the snow. Life went on for Syracuse and they trounced Kansas State at the Insight.com Bowl while VaTech suffered a humiliating loss to Florida State. (Syracuse was certainly robbed from a Gator Bowl appearance and I will evaluate their 2001 season in another post.)

On October 26, 2002, Virginia Tech was undefeated with a record of 8-0, and was #3 in the AP poll. Why shouldn't they be? How they got there and their subsequent collapse:

The season started with a string of victories:

- Sun Belt Arkansas State (at home);

- SEC LSU (at home);

- MAC Marshall (at home);

- Big 12 Texas A&M;

- MAC Western Michigan;

- Boston College (28-23);

- Rutgers (at home); and

- Soon-to-be-Division 1-AA Temple (20-10 at home).

What an impressive start! The team was 5-0 at home, 5-0 against inferior teams, and 8-0 overall with an AP rank of 3. The rest of the season:

- Lost to Pittsburgh (at home);

- Lost at Syracuse (in triple overtime);

- Lost to West Virginia (at home);

- Beat ACC Virginia (at home);

- Lost at Miami; and

- Beat Mountain West Air Force in the San Francisco Bowl (20-13).

To wrap-up this season, they played 8 games at home and only 5 away, which makes you wonder who created this biased schedule. They lost 4 of their last 6 games, finishing with an overall record of 10-4 and an abysmal 3-4 record in the Big East. Their final AP poll ranking was 18.

On October 20, 2003, Virginia Tech was undefeated with a record of 6-0, and was #3 in the AP poll. Why shouldn't they be? How they got here and their eventual collapse:

The season started with convincing victories:

- MAC Central Florida (at home);

- Division 1-AA James Madison (at home);

- Big 12 Texas A&M (at home);

- Independent Connecticut (at home);

- Rutgers; and

- Syracuse (at home).

This dominant team were 5-0 at home, 4-0 against teams with no business playing VaTech, and 6-0 overall with a ranking of 3 in the AP. This team lost to West Virginia last night, which will undoubtedly lead to another collapse. But that is expected.

Why is this team consistently over-ranked? They do not play competitive football until November and are ranked in the top 5 when they finally play good teams. I conclude with my thesis: VaTech is the most over-ranked team in recent history.

Arnold Schwarzenegger's campaign, and many other campaigns across this country, focuses on tackling special interests. This is a great idea. We need to eliminate the corruption of government and the special interests are the corruptors of our government on every level. But Arnold and other conservatives are definitely wrong in one certain case.

The Native and Indegenous People of this land are not "special interests." We have to be clear on this. By way of treaty, they can not be taxed. By way of treaty, they are a sovereign people. Arnold's crusade against the "Indian Casino special interest lobby" is a disgrace and a travesty of American justice.

The Bureau of Indian Affairs is hidden within the Department of the Interior. This needs to be changed. Short of the creation of a destinct cabinet-level department itself, say the Department of Indian Affairs (much like the Department of Veteran Affairs), the BIA should be relocated to the State Department. The Native Peoples are sovereign, and should be respected as such. I would certainly consider a name change, considering that Columbus was incorrect in his thought that he had landed in India, but that is too up to the Native and Indegenous Peoples.

The issue is not taxes; the issue is placed squarely upon the fundamentals of society. A thousand years ago, the Native Peoples looked out at the great sea and thought, "Look at all that water, there must be something out there." The Europeans looked out at that same great sea and said, "Whatever is out there - it's mine."

(I will add that I am a proud pure descendant of Eastern Europe.)

"Mission Accomplished" hung aboard the U.S.S. Abraham Lincoln as the backdrop to the President's heroic victory speech. He had just landed aboard the aircraft carrier in a fighter jet and was fully adorn with flight suit. It was Bush's greatest moment as president.

Now entrepreneurs are jumping to profit off this grand victory. Bush Fighter Pilot halloween costumes have been marketed and are being sold at a record pace. Many costume stores have sold out. "I couldn't keep them on the shelves if I wanted to," commented a store owner in Walnut Creek, California.

Children all across America want to be the President. He is very popular and is a war hero to many.

"I have never seen so many children love a president," the store owner added.

The Bush Fighter Pilot costume goes all out in its effort to emulate the President. The costume comes complete with flight suit, helmet and goggles, and even has patches sewn on the sleeves. To further reflect the President and his past heroics, one of the pockets of the flight suit contains a crackpipe.

I hate the Yankees. I can not stand them and I can not stand their one-hundred-eighty-million-dollar payroll. (The Florida Marlins payroll is $50 million.)

The World Series begins tomorrow evening and the Yankees will win in six. The Marlins will challenge the over-paid, over-ranked Yankees, but will eventually succumb to defeat. There is hope however; there is always a glimmer of hope for the Yankees' demise. But it never pans out.

"Rooting for the Yankees is like rooting for the lions over the Christians in Rome." (I don't know where I heard this quote, but I agree with it wholeheartedly.)

The Chicago Cubs are cursed. The Boston Red Sox are cursed. It is true.

The Cubs' disastrous end to their season was predicted. Everyone that was watching Game 6 in the 8th inning knew what happened was going to happen. (Maybe not exactly how, but the results were known.) And after they lost that game, they had no chance the following night. End of season. The curse continues.

The Red Sox and their blown chances were also predicted. You saw it coming. Double. Single. ("You're leaving Pedro in?!?") Double. Double. End of inning. The Boone home run was actually called by me moments before the inning began. ("I wouldn't mind Boone hitting the game-winning home run. I like Boone. He is a new Yankee, not one of the bad guys yet.") Then it happened. Season over. The curse prevails. (Note: Alan Embree threw a total of three pitches; two of them were strikes.)

The San Francisco Giants are cursed. The last time they won was 1954 and that was when they were the New York Giants. (The Red Sox last won in 1918. The Cubs last won in 1908.)

These events are eerily similar:

2002 World Series - San Francisco Giants vs. the Anaheim Angels;

Game 6 - Giants up 3 games to 2;

Bottom of 7th inning, 1 out, Giants lead 5-0.

Giants lose games 6 and 7.

2003 NLCS - Chicago Cubs vs. the Florida Marlins;

Game 6 - Cubs up 3 games to 2;

Top of 8th inning, 1 out, Cubs lead 3-0.

Cubs lose games 6 and 7.

2003 ALCS - Boston Red Sox vs. the New York Yankees;

Game 7, bottom of 8th inning, 1 out, Red Sox lead 5-2.

Red Sox lose game 7.